Digital 'over 22% of RHG net sales'

Digital now accounts for more than 22% of Random House Group UK net sales, c.e.o. Gail Rebuck revealed today in her end of year letter to staff, which also saw her assert that "print remains central to our future".

In her letter to staff, Rebuck called 2012 "one of the most remarkable years in our history", saying it began with the Fifty Shades "phenomenon" and "ends with a possible once-in-a-lifetime merger on the horizon", referring to the Penguin Random House merger likely to be completed in 2013.

Other publishing successes Rebuck referred to were The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce, R J Palaccio's Wonder, Simon Mayo's Itch, A Wanted Man by Lee Child, and non-fiction titles from figures including Rod Stewart and Bradley Wiggins. She said the publisher had notched up 28 Sunday Times number ones.

Rebuck said: "The publishing industry is changing, but what remains unchanged is our commitment to our authors and our talented teams who ensure we publish the best books and get them to as wide a readership as possible. By looking for imaginative ways to do this, we will continue to evolve our mission to promote the crucial future of long form reading and its cultural importance to society."

Rebuck said that "digital will become more and more important—it now accounts for over 22% of UK net sales—but print remains central to our future".

She also said that over 2013, the group will "build on our innovative consumer insight projects from in-depth author specific investigations to our informative consumer segmentation studies which help us know more than ever before about who buys our books", with "authors and how we promote andprotect their content [remaining] at the heart of what we do and we will continually seek out new ways to better understand and reach readers".

Rebuck also mentioned continuing to support "all retailers with our commitment to sustaining the future of physical retail and to expanding digital retail".

She added: "Change is coming; but we know and understand change and we have a clear vision for our future."

Meanwhile staff were given news of their annual bonus at the Random House Christmas party, understood to be over double that received in 2011.